City v AC Milan post match thread

[Brightwell Bros.]

The ability to watch and analyse pre-match friendlies through the magic of streaming and globalization is one of the weirdest aspects of "modern football". I truly think, outside of 100 lunatics who travel with the club, the only way Manchester City fans should know about who we played in the summer is when you arrive on the first home match and read about it in the programme. Not good for anyone to be this connected at all times (myself included posting on a fan forum weeks before the season starts).

 

[Gone for a Burton]

Can we stop the hatefest for him please. It's not his fault City made him a massive offer. He's a City player and deserves our support. I understand the comments but surely that's enough.

....he certainly doesn't warranty slaughtering on a City fans forum.

Pep (wrongly imo) publicly embarrassed him last pre season.

It's a signing that's not worked for either party unfortunately.

Philips is leaving....let him go without the hate !!

 

[Gone for a Burton]

I don't mind Phillips or any player making a mistake. But a player being irrelevant is just not acceptable. We play with 10 players when he is on the pitch. He doesn't foul, he doesn't tackle, he doesn't intercept, he doesn't block, he doesn't create, he doesn't run. I'd be shocked if any of the kids over 18 years of age couldn't do a better job at some element that impacted the game.

We can not play him again ever. He is only preventing us from seeing another possible solution in midfield.

Again, I've no issues with mistakes. They might look bad but that's ok. He just doesn't try or he just can't do it. Poor guy needs a future elsewhere now.

His confidence and self esteem are broken.....he looks desolate.

It must be an awful feeling !!

 

[failsworthblueboy]

The ability to watch and analyse pre-match friendlies through the magic of streaming and globalization is one of the weirdest aspects of "modern football". I truly think, outside of 100 lunatics who travel with the club, the only way Manchester City fans should know about who we played in the summer is when you arrive on the first home match and read about it in the programme. Not good for anyone to be this connected at all times (myself included posting on a fan forum weeks before the season starts).

Sorry i completely disagree, for me the build up to the new season is exciting you see the younger players and get to give your opinion on them, you see new signings and anticipate the impact they will have on the new season.
If you are sensible you will realise pre-season is just a fitness and commercial excercise and realise it doesn't really matter what the result is but, the idea getting the info from match day programmes is a terrible one.
I enjoy it and if others don't they don't have to watch.

 

[Gone for a Burton]

Not going to happen. There won't be anyone else back before the tour ends, crazy to say this given we've had 1 senior defender on the pitch for 10 minutes so far but we actually only have 5 defenders missing such is the lack of depth there.

ake, akanji and dias all due back monday after the tour ends and walker and stones may return then but will get even longer if they want it.

Let's say they all return on the Monday and don't need longer, I could be chatting out of my arse here i obviously dont know their schedule but I could imagine a scenario where it's something like, first day back, the monday is strictly testing with maybe a light warm up session later on, tuesday is probably individual training or working just within the group just returning and behind the rest. We travel Friday. So they're probably getting 2 days of training if they're lucky before the shield.

That would ordinarily lead me to suggest we might see more of this current pre-season squad involved in the shield however they'll all come back in good shape and all will need some minutes as that will be the only pre-season game the majority of our side get so pep probably just sticks them all in.

I don't expect us to look anywhere close to being ready come the shield and suspect we will once again lose that game but this has always been Peps way and his record is rather decent.

The full squad are unlikely to be available until after the September international break which none of our players should be released for.

The club should request dispensation to also include the November break.

 

[CC1]

Ruben, too.

How could I forget him !!!

 

[RayCTID]

Despite the defeat plenty of signs we are getting in our stride and plenty of positives from the EDS players in the team.

 

[Gone for a Burton]

THE CFA......
continues to produce excellent footballers many of whom will enjoy good careers.

Many will ultimately be at other clubs, generating substantial income and pure profit for the club.

This USA tour is a fantastic opportunity and experience for our products which 90% of young players will never enjoy.

The reputation,and respect for & of, City's players, at all levels, is VERY high and widely acknowledged across domestic and international markets.

Credit to all involved !!

 

[Pollock's Deft Backheader]

Not when you consider that we swapped him with Paul Walsh ;)

Still hurts

 

[Utter bobbins]

No, not harsh. You could see they were lads, and they simply weren't up to top level. Just as well that's not at all our defence, eh? (By the way, talking about who our real defence is, thought Ed could have done a bit better on their third goal, honestly. Yes, it was perfectly placed, but he wasn't apparently unsighted, and there wasn't a lot of power on it. N.b. not making a big thing of it, just a comment in passing).

The revelation, so far, is Oscar Bobb. Well, not really a revelation, in fact.

lol

 

[Father Paul]

Can't be too arsed about the results, they are what they are. Would prefer to win still.

One thing I'll point our as a negative was our defence was a bit of a shit show in both games. I know they're young lads and it's pre season but at least try to get the basics right. It's the minimum you would expect from academy players from top teams, especially when these are the moments where they get to make an impression. A few look a mile off from having a chance of breaking into the first team squad.

I know that sounds harsh but I just wanted to see a bit more quality from some of them now they're given chance, even if it is a pre season friendly.

There's definitely some quality there too though.

The Academy is only partially about bringing talent through to play for us, in the main it is a revenue generating exercise aimed at populating squads well below the standards set at City in recent years. That said, even if I was a manager in League 2, I would hesitate to sign a couple of the lads on this tour with us.


As for the results in these games they are practically meaningless. Our season is predicated upon peaking over the last 2 or 3 months and under Pep that objective is usually achieved.

 

[ancoats]

I will say this, The people and media think we have a big squad need to look again
We have 14 players who demand a start and the rest are just bench warmers, What is it with the left of defence, Again opened up far too easily,

We must go into the transfer market and get 3 or 4 players, a Rodri-style player and a left-back and right-back
Plus Get Pep contract sorted, Then sort out the KDB and Ederson Silva Walker Stones Alvarez,

We need to stabilize the future and if Pep stays give him money to rebuild another squad for another 3 to 5 years

 

[COAT_OF_ARMS]

So what are the senior players, who weren’t on international duty over the summer, supposed to do for two weeks?

I don't agree with Madchester, but, the other way of doing it would be to send the kids to the States with Ben Wilkinson, and keep the rump of the senior squad at the Etihad Campus with Pep & Co focused solely on drills and tactical planning, without the game time.

I am of the opinion that what we do now is better, but if we were to follow that line of thinking, that's how you'd have to do it.

 

[Father Paul]

....he certainly doesn't warranty slaughtering on a City fans forum.

Pep (wrongly imo) publicly embarrassed him last pre season.

It's a signing that's not worked for either party unfortunately.

Philips is leaving....let him go without the hate !!

Sorry but Pep was 100 per cent right to give him that dressing down. He was clearly unprofessional and he also showed his brittle mentality in the manner he totally failed to respond to his censure. I don't hate the guy nor do most of his critics and if he was given game time I would get fully behind him. But the reality is that he is not going to get on the pitch yet again this season because he just doesn't fit in any way, shape or form. I think there is one thing certain at this stage and that is it is best for both parties that the relationship is terminated.

 

[warringtonblue]

I will say this, The people and media think we have a big squad need to look again
We have 14 players who demand a start and the rest are just bench warmers, What is it with the left of defence, Again opened up far too easily,

We must go into the transfer market and get 3 or 4 players, a Rodri-style player and a left-back and right-back
Plus Get Pep contract sorted, Then sort out the KDB and Ederson Silva Walker Stones Alvarez,

We need to stabilize the future and if Pep stays give him money to rebuild another squad for another 3 to 5 years

No way are going to sign 3 or 4 players

 

[Prophet of Doom]

Can’t understand why anybody is arsed about these pre-season games. Surely everybody knew we would lose every game on tour due to the squad that was sent out.

For anybody banging on about youth players making a name - we have sold all our good young players. Most of players on tour are returning loanees with no future at the club or were part of the team that finished 4th bottom of the PL2 division last season and certainly not good enough to be facing the quality of opposition on this tour.

Everybody should chill - ignore all pre season results inc the Charity Shield and hope we get some fitness into the players that come back late for the start of the season.

 

[Vienna_70]

I don't agree with Madchester, but, the other way of doing it would be to send the kids to the States with Ben Wilkinson, and keep the rump of the senior squad at the Etihad Campus with Pep & Co focused solely on drills and tactical planning, without the game time.

I am of the opinion that what we do now is better, but if we were to follow that line of thinking, that's how you'd have to do it.

The senior pros, who haven’t been involved in internationals, need game time.

 

[its a Barm]

Can’t understand why anybody is arsed about these pre-season games. Surely everybody knew we would lose every game on tour due to the squad that was sent out.

For anybody banging on about youth players making a name - we have sold all our good young players. Most of players on tour are returning loanees with no future at the club or were part of the team that finished 4th bottom of the PL2 division last season and certainly not good enough to be facing the quality of opposition on this tour.

Everybody should chill - ignore all pre season results inc the Charity Shield and hope we get some fitness into the players that come back late for the start of the season.

That's how I see it now, the euros have fucked us up for pre season, regarding the young lads difficult to see any rough diamonds coming through unfortunately.

 

[East Level 2]

Only thing is it’s against them bastards?

A concept some of our idiot fans couldn't grasp after we threw away the cup final.

 

[mexico1970]

Last nights game had the feeling of a friendly, I just don't understand how these games are getting the first team match fit when they aren't even playing in them.